Why aren't BD spectators more civil?

[Shubho]

I am the first to admit that the atmosphere at any stadium in Bangladesh is brilliant. It's loud. It's exciting. It's a party. The spectators really get behind their team. At home, Bangladesh play with a 12th man.

That said, I have also been disturbed by the utter lack of civility (particularly towards the visiting team) at every match I have witnessed from the stands at stadiums around Bangladesh.

An opponent gets a 50. No applause.
An opponent scores a century. Crickets. Tumbleweed.
An opponent takes five wickets. Deathly silence. Are we at Banani Graveyard or Mirpur?
A home batsman gets out after a good score. Silence.
A home batsman gets out after a poor score. Jeering. Bhua! Bhua!

The only exception to the above that I can think of is Sachin's 100th 100 at Mirpur. He was sent off with standing O, and deservedly so. It would have been a real embarrassment had we not done so.

I still remember going to see the three ODIs against Australia at Mirpur immediately after the 2011 World Cup, particularly that one game where Shane Watson scored 185*. The bowlers were jeered. The batsmen (particularly Tamim and Shakib) were jeered. The most vivid memory of that encounter was seeing several parents actively encouraging their kids (who could not have been more than six or seven years old) to shout "Bhua! Bhua!". WTF?

It appears not much has changed in the interim. New Zealand didn't have any decent individual performances in the first two ODIs, so the crowd did not have the opportunity to applaud the opposition. In the third ODI, however, Munro's 50 was greeted with silence, as was Taylor's 50, which was followed by yet more deafening silence when he brought up his 100 in style. What the heck is wrong with us?

I wonder why it is we lack a basic sense of decorum? How is it that we have the education required for a job that pays for several 1,000-taka tickets, yet not have learned any manners?

We aspire to have a world-class cricket team, but can we please also aspire to be world-class fans?

[MHRAM]

There is something called education and many of them lack it.

Most of the fans in the stadium happen to be uneducated and come from a poor background. Now, I don't want to make a generalization on everyone but most of the people that stands in the line for the ticket or have no problem in watching an entire match are usually those who, as my father claims, are usually unemployed and uneducated. Lack of education is not surprising at all because afterall this is Bangladesh where majority is illiterate.

Hence you can't expect them to stand up and applaud the opposition. This jeering needs to stop. Our crowds are good for neutral games but when it comes to home matches the environment becomes.biased.

Its not only in the case of international match. It happens even in domestic matches. When Sabbir.scored a 50 against CTG Kings there was no applause from the crowd.

Its not only the uneducated ones. Educated people have similar attitude. This has got to do with our lack of involvement in professional sports than anything.

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[kalpurush]

Originally Posted by MHRAM
Most of the fans in the stadium happen to be uneducated and come from a poor background. Now, I don't want to make a generalization on everyone but most of the people that stands in the line for the ticket or have no problem in watching an entire match are usually those who, as my father claims, are usually unemployed and uneducated. Lack of education is not surprising at all because afterall this is Bangladesh where majority is illiterate.

Ha! Ha!! Thanks for the "stereotype entertainment"!!!


Do you think institutional education is the key to learn manners or being civil?

[MHRAM]

Originally Posted by kalpurush
Ha! Ha!! Thanks for the "stereotype entertainment"!!!


Do you think institutional education is the key to learn manners or being civil?

Well obviously I am no expert on this

But institutional education has a major role in this. And no, it does not have much to do with Newton laws of motion or Einsteins formula. An important part of education should be social aspects. I don't know about other schools but where I was brought up I was taught some important things to be implemented later in my life. Your average Bangladeshi, unfortunately are not taught these kinds of lesson.

We are lacking in the moral education department. Its just like Bangladesh's pace bowling unit for the longer format.

I am of the opinion that regardless of having secondary education one cannot.claim him to be educated. An educated person behaves like an educated one. I have been to cricket matches and all I have seen is disrespectful comments from those around me, especially from those who come from a poor background. Call me an elitist as you will. But I will stand my ground.

Until we have a proper education system that is not only limited to curriculum knowledge, only then we will be a civil country. Like someone said earlier, rarely will you see your average Bangladeshi to say Thanks or Sorry. The behavior of our politicians itself is a good proof of what Bangladeshis really are. That's why I have no respect for most of my countrymen.

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[Ashfaq]

I don't think our spectators don't appreciate the oppositions cricket. May be they don't applaude the 4s and 6s hit by Rosco, but that's absolutely expected of them. However, they cheered for him when he scored the hundred (may be not as loudly as they could, but still) just like they cheered the Williamson ton in the tests. So I don't think our spectators are uncivilized. In a home game, Jingoism is expected.

[Ashfaq]

@ MHRAM: Careful buddy, some might say your attitude is elitist. Cricket is no longer the game of Kings. It's played by everybody and everybody is equally valuable spectator. Those who go to stadium pay good money to be there and they have the right to cheer for whoever the damn well please.

[MHRAM]

Originally Posted by Ashfaq
@ MHRAM: Careful buddy, some might say your attitude is elitist. Cricket is no longer the game of Kings. It's played by everybody and everybody is equally valuable spectator. Those who go to stadium pay good money to be there and they have the right to cheer for whoever the damn well please.

I expect my post to be scrutinized

I never said it was wrong for uneducated people to watch the cricket by the attitude by these people is detestable.

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[kalpurush]

I have a very different experience than Shubho - during eighty's and early ninety's, spectators cheered whenever an opponent player/s scored a fifty or a ton, even when they fielded well and
I didn't miss any single games Tigers have played at home during that time.

I think our captain has some kind of responsibility to motivate the spectators/public by being gracious and appreciates the opponent team where it is due.

[ma_o_mati]

We have the country we deserve. We have the politicians we deserve, economy, environment, corruption. There is very little things to be proud of Bangladesh. Doesn't matter how much patriotic you are, one should admit the truth that the state of our country is horrible. If all that doesnt change, we cant expect changes in our behavior. Thank you and sorry are courtesy word which are rarely used in bd. we as a county still are very primitive so I dont expect claps or cheers for opposition's good performance.

[Navo]

The responsibility does lie with our players too somewhat - they need to be gracious as winners and more fulsome in their praise when it is due. I think Mushy does so at times but not as often as one would like. It would encourage spectators to be more considerate.

[MohammedC]

I was once told not to clap when Andrew Strauss hit a crushing square drive that was traveling faster than a speed of light.

[Sohel]

I think we're confusing ignorance of etiquette with civility here. Civility isn't really the issue. As someone who does go to international matches and doesn't stay confined inside the VIP box, I know most fans admire and appreciate good cricket from foreign teams and players. I hear a lot of "dekhsos!" all the time. Most are simply not familiar with the etiquette of taking that fondness to the next level. Having said that, I do believe that'll happen once our cricket culture matures a bit more, and more consistent wins get people interested in more nuanced aspects of the sport.

[kalpurush]

Originally Posted by Sohel
I think we're confusing ignorance of etiquette with civility here. Civility isn't really the issue. As someone who does go to international matches and doesn't stay confined inside the VIP box, I know most fans admire and appreciate good cricket from foreign teams and players. I hear a lot of "dekhsos!" all the time. Most are simply not familiar with the etiquette of taking that fondness to the next level. Having said that, I do believe that'll happen once our cricket culture matures a bit more, and more consistent wins get people interested in more nuanced aspects of the sport.

Well said Sohel bhai.

Also, as Navo said, our players and captain has a role here to play as well.

[Shubho]

Originally Posted by Sohel
I think we're confusing ignorance of etiquette with civility here. Civility isn't really the issue. As someone who does go to international matches and doesn't stay confined inside the VIP box, I know most fans admire and appreciate good cricket from foreign teams and players. I hear a lot of "dekhsos!" all the time. Most are simply not familiar with the etiquette of taking that fondness to the next level. Having said that, I do believe that'll happen once our cricket culture matures a bit more, and more consistent wins get people interested in more nuanced aspects of the sport.

To be honest, there isn't much of a difference between etiquette and civility. But I do get your point: the Bangladeshi spectator might indeed appreciate or admire the efforts of an opponent, but may not have the knowledge to express said appreciation/admiration in the same way as is done in other parts of the world.

I still find it baffling, however, that people have big bucks to spend on match tickets, yet have no knowledge of basic etiquette. Perhaps I am expecting too much here. "Sorry", "please" and "thank you" might as well be non-existent in Bangla vocabulary, because I can't recall the last time I heard a Bangladeshi in Bangladesh use any of those words. That being the case, expecting applause for the opposition might be a bit of a stretch.

Perhaps there was isolated applause for Munro's 50 or Taylor's 50/100 in the last game. But if memory serves, not a single soul around me applauded. And when I watched the highlights on TV, I didn't hear much, if anything.

One reason I talk about civility, not just etiquette, is because I find there are far too many spectators who are all too willing to jeer their own team. That's just not on. You don't need to be schooled in etiquette to know that is wrong. I refer to the example I cited in my opening post: parents encouraging their young children to chant "bhua, bhua" just because Shakib and Tamim got out cheaply or Shafiul and Shuvo conceded too many. I don't think that's civil at all.

[MohammedC]

1- Do not encourage our opponent
2- It is unpatriotic to appreciate opponents good work.

This is the impression I got from few Bangladeshi spectators. When I watched few match involving Bangladesh.

[akabir77]

btw i did hear applause after kiwi batsman made 100. so your story is not quite true...

[Equinox]

This issue is over-srutinised. Watch a few Premiership matches and tell me how often you see home fans applauding the opposition goal-scorer. In fact if you look closely enough you'll often see obscene hand-gestures aimed at opposition players when they score yet no one questions their civility. Cricket is the biggest sport we have and hence emotions govern peoples' behaviour at the ground. The English are the same way with their football.

[MHRAM]

Taylor and Corey got applause when they scored a 100

so its not a case of zero recognition

But don't get why Shams did not get any applause as he left.

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[simon]

I'm not too bothered if the majority of spectators don't applaud opponent's performance, I'm ok with the "bhua bhua" yelling, as long as the spectators don't use abusive words or throw dhila I'm ok with it.
I'm happy that our boys are well behaved barring Tamim , that's what matters the most.

[ma_o_mati]

I agree with most of what Mhram is saying. We definitely lack in courtesy and manner. I dont see whats the harm in admitting it. Come on now, how many Bangladeshis uses phrases like excuse me, thank youor sorry. It has to do with culture and economic factors. We cant expect third world country people to act like first world. But we should recognize the truth at least.

[ahnaf]

Originally Posted by ma_o_mati
I agree with most of what Mhram is saying. We definitely lack in courtesy and manner. I dont see whats the harm in admitting it. Come on now, how many Bangladeshis uses phrases like excuse me, thank youor sorry. It has to do with culture and economic factors. We cant expect third world country people to act like first world. But we should recognize the truth at least.

just because people dont say sorry or execuse me,doesnt mean we lack courtesy.. People are not used to say or hear those words.. Thats it.. That has nothing to do with first world or third world.. And our people may not say sorry or execuse me,but they can do lots of things for other people what you wont find in your beloved first world..
About booing our own player? Lol.. I see almost every now and then football players are getting booed by their own first world club/country supporter.. They must be poor or lack courtesy or uncivilized.. Oh,wait, hows that possible? They are first world country citizen afterall..

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[Navo]

I agree with Sohel bhai on the point that we shouldn't conflate civility with etiquette or decorum. Appreciation can be shown in many forms and a favorable comment like 'deksos' is one such gesture.

I am surprised by the self loathing seeping through this thread, though

[Shubho]

Originally Posted by Navo
I agree with Sohel bhai on the point that we shouldn't conflate civility with etiquette or decorum. Appreciation can be shown in many forms and a favorable comment like 'deksos' is one such gesture.

I am surprised by the self loathing seeping through this thread, though

If everyone was that civil, the outbursts of "Dekhsos!" and "Khaise!" and "Baap re baap!" and a whole host of other positive exclamations would reverberate around the stands. You would hear the "oohs" and "aahs" on the telly. In my experience, however, that has never been the case.

[Zeeshan]

Originally Posted by Navo
I am surprised by the self loathing seeping through this thread, though

So being critical of one self is self-loathing?

I also like how a single person can have a God given ex cathedra right to represent a country and take it upon himself to note what constitutes offensive to an entire nation or not. Wow...

[Navo]

Originally Posted by Zeeshan
So being critical of one self is self-loathing?

I also like how a single person can have a God given ex cathedra right to represent a country and take it upon himself to note what constitutes offensive to an entire nation or not. Wow...

Zee, I think there is a marked difference between self-criticism and self-loathing and the connotations they have. People criticize someone or something, when they believe that there is potential for reform, while they loathe something or someone when they find that there is no hope for reform/rehabilitation or find something intrinsically/innately detestable.

I found some of the comments to tilt more to the latter than the former.